A self-proclaimed global citizen and curator of vibes. I am an Artist, Daughter, Friend, Serial Entrepreneur, Earth Enthusiast, Creative Mentor, Mental Health Advocate and Mindfulness Practitioner.
My path to Creative Director has been
anything but linear...
I have experienced what feels like many lifetimes and created so many memories building my global community, exploring cultures and expanding my creativity. My endless curiosity of the world, coupled with my tendency to take roads less travelled have all led me to the incredible place I find myself today.
hi, i’m Megha
These are the stories
that shaped me.
The moments that have left their lasting mark on my identity and how I see the world. They've been my driving force, sometimes pulling me apart at the seams, forcing me to rebuild from a new point of view. They've fuelled my inspiration and curiosity, and have molded me with each challenge, pushing me further towards excellence and impact. Above all, they've propelled me to channel my passions and skills toward building a brighter world, not only for myself but for all those around me.
And so with that, I hope that by learning more about my story you may understand both me and my art more fully…
a small town girl with
big dreams.
A farm town girl from Canada, with a hint of gritty Detroit roots, and a deep love for the arts, I always dreamt of a bigger world. My journey began at the age of 4, traveling with my globe-trotting grandma – a retired school principal with an insatiable passion for exploration. Her stories of adventure painted the world in vibrant hues, planting the seeds of my own wanderlust and deep appreciation for our planet.
my curious nature drove my education.
Western University,
Honor B.Sc. Animal + Human Behavior
I started my undergrad with the intention of med school but along the way became fascinated with learning everything I could about the humans, plants, animals, ecosystems and landscapes that make up our planet. From animal consciousness and human behavior, to environmental sciences, evolution and neuropsychology, I soaked up knowledge about our world’s intricate web and the emotions, behaviors, and systems that thread through it.
Although some have questioned the connection between my degree and my creative journey,
I find it’s been my secret weapon. My education has offered me a unique creative perspective — one that values humanity, animals, and our Earth. It's given me a lens and the knowledge to create not just for attention, but with awareness, positive influence and impact.
i lost my hearing at 20.
During my undergrad, a major cholesteatoma — a benign ear tumor — nearly took my life, resulting in complete deafness and loss of vestibular function in my left ear.
This unexpected hurdle shook my 20-year-old self to the core, but I emerged, alive and determined. This challenging period tested my resilience, inspiring me to take ownership for my mental and physical health, and to become curious about the resources available to me.
I took this as an opportunity to channel my experience into a deeper understanding of sensory health. I began volunteering for my surgeon Lorne Parnes, in the Cochlear Implant department at University Hospital, in London, ON, where I gained insights into my own disability and offered support to the team that played a pivotal role in saving my life.
then accidentally started a conscious brand…
In 2012, at 22 years old, while studying full-time at Western University, I co-founded Illbury + Goose. What started as a small pop-up t-shirt shop at farmers markets and music festivals evolved into an internationally recognized Canadian lifestyle brand named after our grandparents small businesses. With two retail locations and a strong online presence, we took our $3000 investment and quickly grew our our annual sales to more than $500K within the first few years.
During my time as co-founder, I crafted over 200 ethically made products, in Canada and abroad. Through our brand, and the products we created I was able to inspire conscious consumption and encourage sustainable practices by capturing the attention of millennials across the nation.
My work within Illbury + Goose also extended to community engagement, particularly in supporting the revival of London's Old East Village. I earned recognition for establishing a socially conscious and sustainable national brand while in my 20s, securing over $250K in seed investment for the company, and speaking on various panels and keynotes to inspire other young entrepreneurs and creatives.
I also led and grew our incredible team of creatives, employees and artisans across Canada. I managed our stores, finances, growth strategy, manufacturing, merchandising and creative brand direction. It was a wild and humbling experience, that built the foundation of my career as a multi-faceted creative director and entrepreneur.
inspired by small businesses.
Illbury + Goose is a nod to Canadian entrepreneurship, family legacy, and the journey of Canadians everywhere. This patriotic concept, established in 1928,is focused on sustaining small businesses everywhere; We represent a movement that supports local, and thinks global. With a commitment to producing superior garments, accessories, and apothecary items right here in Canada, we are redefining what it means to be Canadian- because it’s not all campfires and dogsleds. From day trips to nightclubs, from cityscapes to Rocky Mountains, Illbury + Goose is a lifestyle that is truly unique and entirely Canadian.
i sold my brand and moved to india.
In 2017, after selling Illbury and Goose to my partner, I went full Eat Pray Love. With a one-way ticket in hand, I dove into the rich tapestry of Indian culture and landscapes. Here I fell deeply in love with the people, perspectives, and traditions. Here I also fell in love with myself…
worked with communities in the thar desert,
Yet, it was 10 days in the middle of the desert that became some of the most important of my life. With a tuk tuk full of supplies and my local friend Sher by my side, I quite spontaneously ventured into the Thar desert outside Jaisalmer, to meet communities in need. Together, we spent many days providing clothing, food, and medical supplies, hearing their stories along the way.
With Sher's help, I've continued to extend support to his community, feeding my dream of some day building better educational opportunities, particularly for girls in these remote villages.
This experience ignited within me a profound realization of the transformative power of educating the next generation and the influence I can personally have on awareness and change. It showed me the importance and impact of inspiring young girls to dream bigger—a conviction that has shaped every move I’ve made since.
inspired little girls,
and designed a sustainable resort wear collection.
During my time living in Jaipur, I collaborated with numerous business owners and artisans to help solve their brand and marketing problems, learning about artisanal techniques along the way. Inevitably I began designing clothing and accessories for myself…
Inspired by the creativity and resources around me I designed a 20 piece, ethically made, resort wear collection called Chai Atelier. This collection was made using traditional block printing in the historic village of Bagru, and was manufactured by a women owned factory.
i returned to canada
ready to create.
When I returned to Toronto from the desert, I was hit with a wave of culture shock and the desire to apply myself as a creative knowing these skills would help me venture back into to the world again. My passions and goals felt clear but I knew I needed to refine my skillsets to become the multidimensional, global creative director and artist I knew I wanted to become.
I took on just about any creative project I could find: I built experiential art installations for The Deighton Cup + Greenwood Stakes, curated an art and fashion event called Design By Toronto, directed numerous creative campaigns, was nominated for a breakout fashion designer award and sat on Notable Life’s first Board of Advisors.
During this time I began producing video content for The Mix a Toronto based media platform, where I directed, produced, (and sometimes hosted) over 60+ pieces of video content.
I also had the chance to direct content for Somewhere Variety an aspiring sustainable retail cannabis brand which gave me the platform and freedom to experiment with my own style of storytelling while traveling through Ontario, British Columbia and California.
inspired women to travel solo in Bali.
In 2018, while speaking on the Freedom Lifestyle podcast I met the incredible women behind ‘The Girls Trip’, a company with the goal of empowering women to travel solo to cultural destinations around the world, while also eliminating barriers that prevent them from traveling in the first place.
Knowing my passion for solo travel and empowering women, they asked me to become the cultural host for their Bali retreats.
Through this role I had the opportunity to live in and share a culture that I feel such deep love for, and to inspire more women to step through their fear of the unknown into bolder, more courageous and well rounded version of themselves through exploration of the world.
I turned lockdown around through creativty and community.
In 2020 when the world locked down, like many others I felt the rug pulled from under me. My California dreams were abruptly put on pause when I lost my US job and found myself sick and quarantined in Toronto on Day 1.
This eye opening time period taught me a few lessons:
Community is everything. Take care of your people, and they’ll take care of you.
Work with and for people who value you as a human as much as an asset.
Nothing is permanent. Nothing is certain. Savor it all.
You will always have new ideas (some better than others).
Breath is life. There is nothing more critical to our existence than the ability to breathe.
When one door closes, another is definitely about to open –if you are willing to take a chance on yourself and lead with authenticity.
After losing my job I immediately started channeling my free time and energy to create, explore, and connect, with the hope of sparking new inspiration, and my next move.
I organized a BLM protest for my King W. neighborhood, committed myself to becoming a stronger ally for the BIPOC community, consulted on design projects and began making art for the sake of art!
I also deepened my breathwork and mindfulness practices I learned in India, and started teaching my global community how to alleviate stress and anxiety along the way.
and started my own agency.
At some point during the historic summer of 2020, I decided to start a creative consulting company of my own, Anecdote - built on the idea of building authentic connections between future-focused brands and communities through storytelling, while maintaining a positive impact on humans and the planet.
And with this I began planning my great escape from Canadian winter, with the ultimate goal of using my creative work to immigrate back to Venice, CA when things calmed down.
i spent the pandemic
living in paradise.
Fast-forward 6 months and I had packed all my things and was boarding a plane to Mexico, where I lived and built my new North American focused consultancy. Without a sentence of Spanish in my vocabulary, I immersed myself fully in the culture, moving first to Mexico City and then to the Oaxacan Coastline of Puerto Escondido. I discovered my favorite country in the world, met some of my best friends on the planet, unlocked a passion my latin art and design, and found a place I will forever call home.
I spent a year living on the dreamy surf beach of Puerto, exploring the unique Oaxacan culture and landscape, learning Spanish, deepening my spiritual practices, and building a strong community with locals and other creative nomads from around the world.
I also spent 21 hours in a palapa meditating through my most iconic tattoo yet ;)
all in pursuit of my california dreams.
My LA story began in 2015 after a road trip through the American deserts, and it only took two days for me to have a deep realization that someday I would call this city home. Ever since that visit, I was on an unstoppable mission to find my way back here.
From a summer living on a sailboat in the marina, to a stint in a creative co-living house in Venice, and a failed business partnership in between, I took every chance I could to come back. Despite many set backs, and a few rock bottom moments, I continued to hold onto my dream of living a healthy and sustainable life by the beach in Venice, while pushing myself to become a top creative in one of the world's most forward thinking, conscious cities.
Today, after years of unwavering dedication, some great stories, and a lot of twists and turn that dream is now proudly my reality.
With my hard-earned O1-B visa in my pocket and my newly adopted senior dog Ella by my side, I successfully transplanted my life to Venice on my pursuit to use my creativity and passions to make the world a better place, while having a lot of fun doing it!
i landed a dream job.
I am very proud to share that I currently hold the position of Creative Director at Ona Creative–an integrated advertising agency and production house in Los Angeles, fully owned and operated by women. It’s been incredibly inspiring to join a female led team where impact and inclusion remain top of mind in all that we do.
I am grateful to be able to push the boundaries of my creativity every day, while collaborating with and sharing the stories of exceptional talent and renowned brands, including Nike, JD Sports, Ulta Beauty and Team USA.
This job has given me the opportunity to meet so many incredible people, and to grow and scale my skills rapidly. On the daily I manage multiple large scale projects through end-to-end production. From creative ideation, pitching and strategy, through production and final asset creation, I lead our team’s creative decision making, ensuring we produce campaigns that push boundaries while maintaining true to our roots.
I also have the opportunity to source, mentor and guide between 5-50+ staffed and global freelance creatives at a time, helping push their work, challenging them to think more critically and inspiring them see the world through new and diverse lenses.
creative director. curator of vibes. entrepreneur. mentor. leader.
creative director. curator of vibes. entrepreneur. mentor. leader.
And so these are some highlights of how I became the person I am today…
You might be wondering why I would be looking for new opportunities when I’ve landed one of the coolest jobs a creative could ask for?!
… I know crazy right?
I am ready to shake things up and am looking for a chance to work with conscious, passionate, future-focused artists, agencies and brands who are looking to push creative limits. Calling in aligned collaborations and creative partnerships where I can use my creative skills and global perspective to tell captivating stories, build authentic communities, and lead innovative creative teams towards impact while making the world a better place.
Manifesting projects that get me excited in 2024:
Future-Focused + Disruptive Brand Building, Music Videos, Album Art, Commercials and Brand Campaigns, Surf and Travel Content, Sustainable Product Development.
Creative Focus:
Fashion, Art, Entertainment, Music, Culture, Wellness, Sustainability
If you read this far, I appreciate you and hope it helps you to better understand the love, dedication and integrity I infused into my life and work each day. And now I guess the real question is, where will my adventure take me next?